Morning arrived with a different kind of silence. It was not the peaceful silence of the mansion or the rest after a long day. It was a heavy silence, as if the environment itself was waiting for something. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I did was look through the window toward the distant village. Something still was not right, and I knew it.
I got up without delay. The girls were already awake, as if they shared the same feeling. Liriel was standing near the door, with a more focused expression than usual. Elara was analyzing the mana flow around us, while Lyannis was mentally organizing what we would do that day. Scarlett simply observed, with that calm expression that hid constant attention. Vespera remained silent, but alert. Rai'kanna had her arms crossed, already prepared to act.
"Today we solve the problem with the land," I said.
Liriel nodded. "I already felt something strange yesterday. It's not strong… but it's spread out."
We left the mansion and headed straight for the village. The village master was already waiting for us, as if he had anticipated our arrival.
"You came early," he said.
"We don't have time to wait," I replied.
He did not question it. He simply guided us to the most affected areas. As we advanced through the fields, I began to notice more clearly what had previously seemed like just a detail. Some parts of the plantation were healthy, with vivid coloration and normal growth. Others, however, looked different. They were not dead, but something was wrong.
Elara crouched down and touched one of the plants.
"The structure is intact… but the energy is unstable."
"As if it's being drained," Liriel added.
I looked around more carefully. That was not a natural problem. It was not lack of water, nor a cultivation mistake. It was something deeper.
"Miasma," I said.
The village master frowned.
"Does that come from the demon kingdom?"
"Probably," I answered. "It doesn't spread evenly. It appears in specific points, affects things gradually, and weakens everything around it."
Scarlett observed a more distant area.
"They would never notice this if they weren't looking closely."
"Exactly," I replied.
Lyannis crossed her arms.
"And that explains why the production varies so much."
Rai'kanna looked around.
"Then there's no point organizing everything if this continues."
"No," I confirmed. "First we solve this."
I turned my attention back to Liriel.
"Can you purify a large area?"
She took a deep breath before answering.
"I can. But I need concentration. And it's going to require a lot of mana."
"How long?"
"A few hours… maybe more."
I looked around. The field was wide, but not impossible.
"Then we start now."
The village master seemed somewhat uneasy.
"Is this… safe?"
Liriel looked directly at him.
"Yes. But you all need to keep your distance."
He immediately nodded.
"I'll inform everyone."
It did not take long for the area to be isolated. The villagers moved away, watching from a distance. Some curious, others clearly worried.
Liriel walked to the center of the field. The light wind began changing direction, as if reacting to her presence. I closed my eyes for a moment and felt the mana around us beginning to move.
Elara positioned herself beside her.
"I'll stabilize the flow."
Liriel nodded.
Scarlett, Vespera, Rai'kanna, and I positioned ourselves around the area, alert for any interference. Lyannis remained farther away, observing and analyzing.
Liriel closed her eyes.
The energy began to concentrate.
At first, it was subtle. A slight vibration in the air, almost imperceptible. But as the seconds passed, it started to grow. The light around her intensified, not in an aggressive way, but steadily.
Then it happened.
A wave of pure energy spread across the field.
There was no explosion. No impact. It was as if the environment itself was being cleansed. The air became lighter. The invisible weight that had been present before began to disappear.
I observed carefully.
Those areas that had seemed unstable before slowly began to change. The coloration of the plants adjusted gradually. The energy that had once been irregular began stabilizing.
Elara maintained control, guiding the flow to prevent any deviation.
Liriel continued without interruption.
The process was not fast. Time passed almost silently while the purification advanced. The sun rose higher into the sky, and even then she did not stop.
After a long period, the energy finally began to diminish.
Liriel opened her eyes.
The field was different.
I took a deep breath.
"Is it over?"
She nodded, visibly tired, but steady.
"For now, yes."
I looked around once more. This time, there was no longer that heavy sensation. The environment was clean. The energy flowed naturally.
The village master approached, still cautious.
"Did that… solve it?"
"It solved the cause," I replied. "Now we need to see the effect."
Lyannis was already analyzing the changes.
"If this works as expected, the next harvest will be more stable."
Scarlett gave a slight smile.
"So now it depends on them."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"And on you."
I looked toward the distant village.
"Yes. Now comes the difficult part."
Vespera spoke in a low tone.
"Organizing what remains."
I nodded.
Liriel took a deep breath, slowly recovering her energy.
"It will take some time before we see the full results… but I'm sure it worked."
I looked at her.
"So am I."
The village master looked different now. It was not just surprise. It was relief.
"If this really solves it…"
"It will," I interrupted.
He nodded slowly.
We returned to the center of the village as the sun began to set. The day had been long, but productive. For the first time since I arrived, I felt that the real problem had been confronted.
But that was only the beginning.
Before entering the mansion, I stopped for a moment and looked once again at the fields.
The land was clean.
Now… it needed to be used properly.
And this time, I would not let it fail.